


men have legs

by Shoshanah-ben-hohim (Shoshanah_ben_hohim)



Series: A Hogwarts Shabbat [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-13
Updated: 2014-03-13
Packaged: 2018-01-15 14:42:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1308601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shoshanah_ben_hohim/pseuds/Shoshanah-ben-hohim





	men have legs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LaDonnaErrante](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaDonnaErrante/gifts).



She had carefully stolen some rolls and cheese from the Great Hall at lunch, and when her dormmates set off for dinner, she had quietly slipped away.

 

Her plan had been to go to a little-used part of the castle, remove two candles from one of the wall sconces in a corridor, and have a little Shabbat dinner by herself, but of course, it had all gone wrong.

 

First, she had burned herself getting the candles down. Then, after she finally managed to get two unlit candles wedged securely into a crack in the flagstones in a dusty corner of an empty corridor, her attempt to light the candles with a charm she had looked up in the library had totally obliterated them, and left scorch marks on the floor, a nearby suit of armor, and Sophie’s skirt.

 

Sophie had nearly cried then, but had managed to hold it in. It was when she had taken out her dinner and discovered that the rolls were studded with nuts, to which she was allergic, that she had burst into tears. She had gotten up to return to her dormitory, but had soon discovered that her quest to find a vacant area of Hogwarts had left her in a part of the castle she had never seen before, and had no idea how to get out of.

 

Sophie had tried to find her way back, but eventually had given up, tucking herself in a little alcove and beginning to sob. She knew that she would have to do something soon, or else miss curfew and get into terrible trouble, but her terrible week had caught up to her and at the moment it was all she could do to stop crying long enough to blow her nose.

 

Her sobs had quieted to tearful sniffling when she was found.

 

“Hey now, what’s wrong?” a kind voice asked “Are you lost? Homesick?” Sophie looked up to see a boy with light brown hair and kind eyes looking down at her anxiously. She, to her great embarrassment, burst into tears again and told him the whole story. He listened patiently, then reached out and pulled her to her feet.

 

“I’m Terry Boot” he said, pulling out his wand and making the scorch mark on Sophie’s skirt vanish with a casual charm. “Ravenclaw fifth year. I’m glad I found you, because I know just how to help. Come with me.” He smiled at her and gestured down the corridor. Sophie couldn’t imagine what he thought he could do about her general state of misery, but since she supposed that he could at least take her back to Gryffindor before curfew, she’d better follow him.

 

Terry didn’t ask Sophie any questions as they walked, but he did point out several landmarks to look out for if she got lost again, and gave her some advice on how to tell if a portrait would be helpful if asked for directions. It didn’t take long at all for them to reach more familiar corridors, although Sophie still wasn’t sure of the way back to Gryffindor. But Terry didn’t seem to be taking her there, as he led her up a spiral staircase to a stone statue of an eagle.

 

“We’d like to enter, please.” He said politely. Sophie watched in fascination as the eagle moved it’s head to look at them and opened its’ beak.

 

“What belongs to you but is nearly always used by others?” It asked, and Terry smiled.

 

“Oh good, an easy one. My name.” He answered, and the eagle nodded and with a great scraping sound, a doorway opened before them. Terry led Sophie up the staircase that appeared into a beautiful airy room, decorated with bronze and blue. Ravenclaws were sitting in small groups talking quietly or even studying, an activity seldom to be seen on Friday nights in the other houses.

 

Sophie liked the room, but privately thought Gryffindor was better – warmer, somehow, even though here in Ravenclaw a fire was burning merrily in the fireplace. She shyly followed Terry across the room, relaxing slightly when she realized that no one was paying them the slightest bit of attention. They soon arrived at a closed door with a blue ribbon hanging from the knob.

 

“This is a private study room, and when it’s in use, the ribbon is put out,“ Terry explained, as he reached to open the door. “But I know who’s in there, they’re waiting for me.” Sophie nodded and followed him into a little round room with a simple table and three chairs. There was a small window high on the wall, but the light in the room was coming from a couple of ancient lamps, giving the place a warm glow.

 

At first, Sophie didn’t even notice the two other people in the room, she was so delighted to see the dinner laid out on the study table, complete with Challah and Shabbat candles, ready to be lit. For a moment, she almost thought she was home, but Terry’s voice quickly brought her back to the present.

 

“Sophie, this is Anthony Goldstein, from my year, and his brother Jacob, who’s in yours…Ant, Jake, I found a fourth for Shabbat.”


End file.
